Water-meter.



F. W. HANKS.

WATER METERc APPLICATION msn APR.12,1913.

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- following 1s a specification,

FREDERICK W. HANKS, F GLEVELAND, OHIO.

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Application mea apra 12, raie.

To all whom'z't may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK W. HaNKs, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Cleveland, countyof Cuyahoga, and State 'of Ohio, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Water-Meters, of lwhich the the principle-of the invention being herein `explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated .applying that principle, so as to distinguish.

. provide a compound description set forth in detail certain mechameter taken on a it from other inventions..` p

The present improvements relate 'more specifically to a compound water meter, that is, a meter combining a hi gh-duty measuring device for registering the flow of strong currents, and a low-duty measuring device for measuring the flow of smaller currents.

device suitable for the one purpose, as is well understood, is notadaptable for registering accurately other sort of duty, and yet finpmany instances the rate of flow varies between such wide limits that it is necessary to provide means for measuring both the low and high rates of flow. i

The object of the present invention is to meter which will be simple and compact in construction,l and which will automatically7 shift from the high-duty to low-duty measuringdevice, and vice versa, without attention being`re quired fromwithout.

Another object is to so arrange the high and low duty devices that a single register need by employed in connection therewith, thus reducing the expense of construction and at the same time simplifying the reading of the meter.

To the accomplishment of these and re-Y lated ends,

the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

The annexed drawing and the following nism embodying .the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may lie used.

In said annexed drawing:-Figure.1 isk a centra-lanertical .section of a compound meter embodying my present improvements; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of such horizontal section indicated by the line ,2--2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a detail at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1., as indicated by the line Specification of Letters Patent.

v 3 8, Fig.. 2; and Fig. l is a broken plan and Amechanism 4, which is when subjected to y the this position of the on the atented Feb. 22, 1916.

serial no. 760,725.,

sectional view of a detail 'taken on the plane indicated by the line llt-A, Fig. 1. n

The general form, as well as the dimensions of the main casing lof the meter may vary within considerable limits, depending upon the particular use to which the meter is to beput. Preferably', however, such casing is separable in a horizontal plane, the

upper portion 2 being removable from the lower portion 1 upon loosening set bolts 3.

Such upper.portion carries the registering i* of typical construction and need not be described in detail. separate` chamber 5 is provided in such upper casing portion toreceive this register, the lattelfbeing ldriven through a spindle that `is provided at its lower end with a clutch 'ad pted to engage with mechanism presently to be` described and having operative connection, with both of the measuring, devices, proper. Accordingly, whichever ,one of the latteris being operated by the flow of water through the meter, the amount of such'ow will be noted on the single register.I

The main chamber in the meter casing is divided into an upper and a lower portion by a transverse wall or partition 8 provided centrally with an opening 9 forming'a valve seat. T he valve 10, which is adapted to register l'with this seat and bev normallyheld thereon by its own'weight, is of the form clearly appearing in Fig. 1.v As further shown in F d, the periphery of said valve is provided with vanes 11 whereby, when the valve is raised from its seat by the pressure of the water belowv the partition 8 and such water thus permitted to escape through the opening in said partition, a. rotative movement will be imparted to said valve.

The upper raised position of the valve is indicated indotted outline in Fig. 1. From the same figure it will be observed that in valve, pins 12l (one or more in number) on its' upper surfaceareadapted to engage and rotate a star-wheel 13 casing 15, which houses a familiar low-duty meter 16 of the nutating pistontype. Communication with the interior of this low duty meter whereby water may be supplied thereto, is had through. a stationary cen-l trally `disposed. tube 17, passing through the aforesaid valve 10. This tube is providedV Ari lower end of va "vertically disposed j f spindle 14 carried in the walls of an interior at a point below the partition 8 with a series ot' openings 18, and the valve 10 is formed with openings 19 adapted to register therewith in said valves lower position, shown in full lines in Fig. 1. Accordingly, as long as the flow of water through the meter is small, such flow will be through these openings 1S and 19 and into the nterior ot the supplementary casing l5, which houses the low-duty meter, such water thence escaping into the upper portion of the main casing. Upon the valve being raised, however, into the position indicated in dotted outline, not only is a flow of water directly through the partition 8 permitted,

.but the flow through this central pipe and Lib low-duty meter is cut oli'I by the tapering body of valve l0.

For communicating to the register 4 the motion imparted to the spindle 14; by the main valve 10, or the nutating piston of the low-duty meter, the following means are providcd:-lln annular member or spider E formed on its under face with two annu- 4lar concentric series of notches 2l and 22, is vrotatably mounted on the upper face of the supplementary casing 15, that houses said low-duty meter. Similarly mounted on said casing about a pin 23 is an oscillatory leverarm 2l, the inner end of which engages an eccentric on a composite spindle 25 centrally mounted on the casing and provided at its lower end with an arm 2G for engagement with the pm 2T on the piston of the meter.

`The rotation of the latter, accordingly, serves to oscillate the arm 2l about its own pivotal axis, and thus impart a step by step movement to the annulaal spider, by reason of a pawl 2S carried by the outer end of said arm and engaging the series of notches Q1 on said spindle. The spindle 14, that is adapted to be actuated by the valve 10 when in raised position, carries an eccentric 29 at its upper end which is adapted to oscillate a. second lever-arm 30 pivotal about a pin'31, in much the same fashion as said firstnamcd lever arm. T his latter arm engages the second series of notches or teeth 22 through a similar pavvl 32. Both the foregoing pawls are conveniently formed of recurved springs. and in addition thereto a third pawl iixedly attached to thecasing 15, (see Figs. i2 and 3) is adapted to engage one ot' the series of notches, in ordervto retain the spider against rotation except in a forward direction, when actuated by one or the other of the actuating pawls 2S or 32.

In operation, the direction of flow of water or other fluid through the meter will be that indicated by the arrows in the inlet and outlet :winnings respectively. Normally the position pff parts will be that shown in Fig. l in luil ,liiws, all the iuid passing through the tube to the low-duty-measuring de` ice. When, however, the flow tends to increase by reason of a greater disparity of pressures on the two sides of the partition 8, suchincreased flow will lift the valve 10 from its seat and at the same time byreacting with the vanes around the periphery of said valve, such flow of fluid will impart rotary motion to the valve. The lifting of the valve in the fashion just described shuts oil' the connection with the tube 17 and renders the low-duty device inoperative for the time being. While the register is not actuated accordingly by the low-duty device under the conditions just described, the roA tating valve, which serves as a high-duty served, providesan extremely simple and compact meter, by combining in one member the rotatingr wheel and valve which have heretofore been made separate elements in the structure. Moreover, by arranging for the communication of the motion of suchnutating piston of the low-duty device to,

the same registenthe expense of providing two separate registers is avoided and the summation of the flows through the two meters is always available to be read Without any calculation being necessary.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the fol-v lowing claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed. f

I therefore particularly point out and distinctlv claim as my invention 1. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a register; a low-duty measuring device; a lngh-duty measuring device; means adapted alternatively to connect said devices with the supply to be measured; and means adapted to operatively connect said devices with said register.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a register; a low-duty measuring device; and a h1gh-duty measuring device; means adapted alterna tively to connect said devices With the supply to he measured, said means being automatically controlled by variations in such supply; and means adapted to operatively connect said devices with said register.

jis

3. In. mechanism of the character described, the combination of a low-duty measurng device; a connection for supplying the iuid to be measured' to said device; an

b a high-duty measuring device, said high-A duty device being adapted to control said connection to the low-duty device.

4c. In mechanism of the character dccombed, the combination of a low-duty measuring device; a connection for supplying the fluid to be measured to said device; and a high-.duty measuring device, said highduty device being normally inoperative and adapted when operative to shut oft' said connection to the' low-duty device.

.5. In mechanism of the character devscribed, the combination of a register; a low-duty measuring device; a connection for supplying the fluid to be measured to said device, 'said high-duty device being adapty ed to control said connection to the lowduty device; and independent meansvfor operatively connecting said devices with said register. .v y c 6.111 mechanism of the character described, the combination of a register; a

low-duty measuring device; a connection for c supplying the Huid to be measured to. said ing device, said high-dut device being nor# mally inoperativeand a apted when operav tive to shut oli said connection to the lowduty device; and independent means` for operatively connecting said devicesy "with said register. y.

7. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a casing; a parA tition'in said casing having an opening; a E0 valve normally seated in such opening to ,close the same, said valve-being rotatable and having vanes adapted to react with. iiuid flowing through such opening in the raised position of said valve andimpart rotary .motion to the latter; a low-duty measuring device; and a'connectlon for supplyingv fluid-thereto, said valve when raisedI 'being adapted toshut oil such connection.

f l lin mechanism of the character de- 1Q scribed, the combination of a casing; a parlow-duty device; and a high-duty measuring A low-duty device; and' aV highfduty measurtition in said casing having an opening; a valve normally seated in such opening to close the same, said valve being rotatable` and having vanes adapted to react `With fluid flowing through such openingl in the raisedposition of said valve and impart vrotary motion to the latter;fa low-duty measuring device; and a tube extending through said valve, said tube being connected-at its one end with said low-duty 60 device and having an opening near itsother end, and saidf'valve being adapted to control such opening.

9. In mechanism 'of' the character described, the combination of acasing; a partition in said casing having an opening; a valve normallyr seated in such opening to close theqsame, said'valve being rotatable and having vanes adapted to react with fluid ilowing through such opening in the raised position of saidvalve and impartrotary motion to the latter; a low-duty measuring device; and a tube extending through said valve, said valve being connected at its one end with said low-duty 75 device and having an opening near its other end, said valve being adapted to close such fopening when raised from its normal posi tion. p

10. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a casing; a register mounted theren; a partition in said casing having an opening; a reciprocable valve normally seated in such opening so as to close thesame; a highduty measuring 85 device associated with said valve and adapted tol be operated by flow of uid through such opening in raised position of Asaid valveg'a .low-duty measuring device; a connection for supplying iuid thereto, said l valve being adapted when raised to shut off such connection; and independent means for operatively connecting said devices with said register. Y

FREDERICK W; HANKS. Attested leyg l J No. F. OBERLIN.

Signed by me,thisv 10th day ofjAIpril,.9iv 

